Society has told us that we need to look like this, dress like that, and that we need to fit in. As a culture, we are obsessed with youth and beauty. Don’t believe me? In 2022, 8.5 billion dollars was spent on plastic surgery procedures in the US alone! Many people don’t like their features and choose to change them.
For many of us, we may not have come to faith until much later in life. We have lived outside of God’s beautiful plan for our lives. We may be living with deep scars and hurts. We may feel like we can be buried beneath shame and many of us have the bumps and bruises to show it.Isaiah 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favour] and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
3 To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion—to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit—that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
What beautiful words and a picture of God replacing the brokenness with His healing oil, taking the soot and ashes from our heads (and more than likely sackcloth) of mourning and sadness and giving us a garment of praise and He places a crown on our heads.
